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Warriors win final two games of softball's Monte Vista Tournament

Fallbrook High School's softball team began 2017 play with the Monte Vista Tournament, and although the Warriors lost their first two games they concluded the tournament with a walk-off victory and a win in a game ended by the 10-run mercy rule.

"I was very happy with the way the team bounced back," said Fallbrook coach Ken Pilbin. "Overall we're very pleased with the start of the season and looking to make improvements to our record from last year."

The Warriors had a 4-19 record in 2016 including a 2-8 figure in Valley League play which gave the Warriors fifth in the six-team standings. Orange Glen, which finished sixth, has departed the Valley League along with Mission Vista and Oceanside while the realignment brings Escondido and San Pasqual to the league.

"We do have a more difficult league this season, so it's going to be challenge getting prepared for that," Pilbin said.

Fallbrook's 2016 roster had three seniors. The 15 girls on this year's varsity consist of seven seniors, three sophomores, and five freshmen.

"Our challenge this year is to integrate the younger players with the experienced players and try to determine the best mix at being competitive," Pilbin said.

Five teams were in Fallbrook's Monte Vista Tournament pool. A 7-3 loss to Helix began the Warriors' tournament and 2017 season competition.

"I felt that was a winnable game," Pilbin said. "We got off to a slow start."

University City defeated the Warriors by a 10-3 margin. Fallbrook was three outs away from starting the season with an 0-3 record before coming back to defeat El Camino, as the Warriors' 5-4 victory over the Wildcats involved three Fallbrook runs in the first and two in the bottom of the seventh.

The first-inning runs occurred when senior Maddie Williams honored with two outs and two teammates on base. El Camino had a 4-3 lead after 6 1/2 innings. Nikki Figueroa, who is one of Fallbrook's seniors, led off the bottom of the seventh with a line drive which fell into the outfield gap and resulted in a double. Amanda Navarro, who is also a senior, then drew a walk. Pilbin sent senior Madi Reynoso to the basepaths to pinch-run for Navarro. Williams singled to drive in Figueroa with the tying run, and Reynoso advanced to third on the hit. That brought freshman Jaylyn Leeman to the plate, and she successfully executed a squeeze bunt which scored Reynoso with the winning run.

"It was a very exciting game and a great way to win it," Pilbin said.

Last year Navarro was Fallbrook's primary pitcher. This year Pilbin has three mound options: Navarro, freshman Sonsi Jarvis, and sophomore Jessica Wilbert. Jarvis pitched a complete game against El Camino, and the right-hander struck out seven batters.

Jarvis returned to the mound for Fallbrook's 13-1 victory at Montgomery, although the mercy rule which calls a game if one team leads by at least 10 runs after five innings reduced her toil on the mound. She struck out six Aztecs batters while allowing three hits.

"We started off strong with five runs in the first two innings and just got off to a great start. We kept the momentum from the game before," Pilbin said.

Seven runs in the third inning, including a three-run home run which was the first high school homer for freshman Nini Ivie, gave Fallbrook a 12-1 lead. Three of Fallbrook's runs in the game were scored by sophomore Randie Bueno, who had three hits in her four at-bats.

Fallbrook, El Camino, and Helix all had 2-2 records in pool play. The tiebreaking criteria to determine which team advanced to the semifinals was fewest runs allowed, and Helix held that advantage.

"That game against University City is what hurt us," Pilbin said.

 

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